Kemp's Reataurant in Norwich

Having dined here before ahead of a show I found it disappointing on this occasion. Sea bream starter - fish was undercooked and the coleslaw over seasoned. Large piece of chicken for main however the tomato and cheese topping was overpowering. Too much dressing on the caesar salad for my taste.

We had a great evening with delicious food, friendly and efficient service and a good atmosphere in the restaurant. It’s really useful to have the table for the whole evening for interval drinks and the prices were reasonable too.

We had a beautiful meal and our waitress was charming, polite and helpful, we were table 4 and she deserves a mention. Absolutely marvellous restaurant and theatre experience. The food was exceptional.

Our first visit since the revamp and we weren’t disappointed. The food was beautifully presented & very flavoursome; service was slick and appropriately timed by young, friendly & efficient staff. It was spotlessly clean with a good ambience, so a great way to start your night at the theatre.

Delicious and beautifully presented food. Lovely surroundings and friendly helpful staff. Very good value. Will definitely visit again!

Nice restaurant to have a meal before the theatre. The food is good and the price very reasonable. Buzzy atmosphere with good friendly service.

A great restaurant to have a meal before a show you also have the table in the interval for a drink or a desert. Considering the that the restaurant is very busy and a limited time before a show to serve every one it is very well organised and excellent service. The food is of good standard with a good choice of dishes. We have been several times and have already booked for our next visit to the Theatre.

This is our 3rd visit this year, always a wonderful meal. The set menu is brilliant value for money, beautifully cooked and presented. Staff are friendly and attentive. Book early! Perfect for a pre show meal.

Booked this restaurant many times for a pre theatre lunch - two or three course options with options to suit all tastes - you also get the opportunity to have interval drinks at your table which can be ordered in advance - definitely recommend

Two visits on consecutive Fridays My friend booked us into the restaurant before our theatre visit. Limited menu but value 3 courses for £27. We both had Vietnamese noodles with pork belly starter. I had pan fried sea bass and she had fish pie. Key lime pie to follow. Neither of us had any complaints. Based on this experience my husband booked us a table a week later. The menu had changed slightly. Both had prawns with ciabatta. Hmm, disappointing. Very vinegary, too much liquid - reduce liquid or provide more bread and taste it before serving please. Main course. I opted for the lamb hotpot. Plenty of lamb but the whole dish was really salty. Husband had Porchester which was beautifully cooked. The roast potatoes had been poorly reheated - bullet proof skin, no flavour. Ratatouille was OK. Dessert. Lemon posset with meringue. Posset was well flavoured but meringue was reminiscent of spray can cream ( direct quote from husband). Shortbread was slightly undercooked. Vanilla parfait with fresh strawberries, nothing to write home about.

We had a delicious three-course meal, and lovely drinks. All staff were acutely aware of the timings for the theatre show. Safely able to leave jackets, coats etc at our table…ours for the evening. The only hiccup was that we were a coffee short at the interval-but a timely cup came over! The only disappointment was that in a beautiful restaurant setting, with delicious food and drink…the staff wore jeans, some rather scruffy, and saggy.

Rather than have to be worried about getting a pre theatre meal elsewhere and be finished in time, we decided to give Prelude a try We were right to do so! Good food and reasonable prices, great service and having our table for the whole evening! We had our dessert served at this table during the interval - how luxurious! We will use again - Definitely!

So delighted to be able to lunch here before a show. We both had the cod dish which was perfectly cooked and delicious. We didn't have dessert, but watching others - they all looked delightful! If you book a lunch table, it's yours too for interval drinks, which you can book and pay for before the show. Highly recommend.

I went here last week with my partner and my father as my dad's Christmas present; we were seeing 'A Vision of Elvis'. Our Taxi was delayed so we were a little later arriving, the one negative I would say is that there is no way to contact Prelude - I called and emailed to no avail. We arrived and there appeared to be a mix-up where they sat a couple at our table, meaning there was no room for all 3 of us on the small table that was left. The manager was apologetic and seated us at the bar upstairs, which was odd but lovely. Wow. Never before have I received such attentive service. The food, as ever, was exquisite, and I had a lovely and welcoming meal. The manager was great, as was our server, Sienna. We got two rounds of free drinks, and free starters and desserts, so in all was greatly compensated from a small mistake. I have dined here a few times before, and will definitely be coming back! Thank you Sienna!

We booked for a pre-Mamma Mia meal last night, having always been to The Assembly House we thought it would be nice to try. Where to start…the restaurant itself is fairly dull it’s a bit like an uninspired wide corridor! The staff are dressed in jeans and denim shirts, something restaurants were doing in the early 1990’s and a bit out of place in this environment we thought. The food overall was good but the extremely cold chargrilled cherry tomatoes on our warm starter was odd we thought! Having the table for the duration of the evening is a nice touch with interval drinks ready and waiting for us. What really lets this restaurant down is the service. Waiting staff clearly have had no training at all, in either presenting the food in front of the customer or clearing away. The clearing away of plates is dire with numerous things being dropped every time as they approached the kitchen door. If you want a really nice pre-theatre dinner The Assembly House cannot be beaten. This will be a reluctant second choice in future, if at all.

How have I never been here before? Good food, reasonably priced and so handy for theatre evenings. Booked this for a pre-show show (Les Mis) meal on a friends recommendation. The menu was small but varied - vegans / vegetarians are well catered for. The service was good and you can order interval drinks and dessert to have in the interval as you have the table all evening, so handy. The portions are not large and I would suggest 3 courses if you are hungry, but the food was very tasty and well presented. Finding this gem will transform my theatre evneings.

The perfect evening out, a lovely meal followed by a fantastic performance of Les Mis. Very good menu, excellent value for money. Just the right size portions for us but I think possibly a bit small for some. If there’s one thing I would suggest the waiting staff do is to actually place the plates of food on the table in front of customers rather than hand them the plate as happened to two of our group at every course. That just seemed odd and unprofessional in my view. However, that aside, I would definitely recommend Prelude for a pre- performance meal.

Brilliant idea to be able to have a table thats reserved for intermission and after and lovely decor and ambience. However, braised beef was way too salty today. We did not have time to change it due to traffic delays on way and start of show but when mentioned was told I'll let the chef know before tonight. Chocolate and pear gateaux was a dry chocolate slice (similar to those you get in multiple packs in supermarkets) with a thin slice of pear put on top. Very disappointing indeed!

It was busy. Plenty of friendly suitably dressed staff! Food was very good. Perfect portions. And good value for money. Lovely to come back to table for dessert and a drink. On another note still a bit of confusion with mixed toilets!

The food was lovely, just right for 3 courses and a glass of wine. Get the table for the rest of the night and interval drinks waiting. Have already booked for my next night at the theatre.

When our tickets for 'School Of Rock' came through, my wife thought we'd treat ourselves to a pre-show meal at the theatre instead of our previous visits to nearby chain restaurants. I was a little worried by the mixed reviews on this site, but the...

We have visited the restaurant on many occasions In the past and I have my to say today has been very very disappointing. Small portions, overcooked beef and the tiramisu was sad, two sponge fingers and a bit of sauce is not a tiramisu and...

Staff were numerous and helpful. However, it was disappointing to have only one vegetarian dish as a main courses. This was a large and tough flatbread filled with jackfruit and spicy vegetables. So, unless one liked a large and seemingly thrown together plateful of spicy...

Very poor meal. Don't order the tiramisu. It came on a flat plate with 2 sponge fingers topped with salted caramel piped cream and chocolate shavings and chocolate sauce. Nothing like the true dessert. The baguette slices that came with the starter were dried out....

As we had enjoyed pre-theatre dining here before we decided to ignore the recent negative reviews and form our own opinion. I'm pleased we did as all four of our group enjoyed our meals. We all made different choices and all were happy with the...

Staff were very good and helpful. Unfortunately the food lets the restaurant down. Main course was very bland and the meat was overcooked & dry. No attempt at presentation for the main course. Dessert was very nice but suspect that the item was bought in...

This restaurant has, since lock down undergone an overhall. Unfortunately this has not improved what was a fine restaurant serving excellent food. There were three of us friends who met to attend a ballet performance and had booked the restaurant as it is very convenient....

Staff polite and helpful. Ambiance good ….however food very disappointing. Starters one ok the other really not good at all. Mains acceptable. We booked our desserts for the interval and arrived at our table and no desserts appeared until break was nearly over . They...

Although the place was quiet with only a few tables occupied, nevertheless the service was unacceptably slow and lackadaisical. Food OK but very ordinary.

Risotto was lovely and service was quick with the option of having our dessert in the interval of the show we were about to watch. We would return.

We have lunches here a few times before seeing a show. The food, service and atmosphere are always excellent. It’s a great way to relax before the show. Would highly recommend.

Attentive staff who looked after us well prior to a performance in the Theatre Royal (Glynbourne Touring Company performing Rigoletto). Quite a mixed group with different dietary needs. Plenty of choice on the menu and everyone enjoyed their selections. Well presented and piping hot. Homemade...

Ate here for the first time on a busy Friday evening prior to the ballet. All seemed very organised & our food came quickly once ordered. They were possibly slightly understaffed that night, as it was some time before our initial order was taken &...

Have had food in bar area previously which has been excellent, but a bit open to all, so we thought we would try Prelude. Didn't start well with a mix up on tables where our pre-booked table had been given to someone else and our...

We have eaten pre-show at Theatre Royal regularly for many but and found the new Prelude disappointing. The revamped restaurant has no carpet, curtains or tablecloths hence it is noisy when busy. It is also more cramped than the old - more tables fitted in?...

Prelude was over-booked for a very popular show the night we went. It offers two course and three course set menus. My wife went straight for a main of sea bass fillet. It was OK but was rather drenched in oil. I decided to have...

Had tickets to kinky boots we had a meal before the show the menu was not large but a good selection to choose from we had the 3 corses but didn’t know that we could have desert during the interval which was nice the table...

Prelude has recently been refurbished, renamed and reopened to provide good food and very good service, to allow you to be in the right place for your evening's performance in the theatre. Tables are well-spaced and the ambience is peaceful. Food is good and arrives...

I like the decor of this restaurant, handily placed just inside the door of the theatre. Busy with a buzz. Nice light bite menu for lunch before a matinee performance. My husband had the steak ciabatta which he said was excellent, very tender. I chose...

We had a totally yummy meal at the Prelude restaurant tonight and really couldn't fault it. Service was excellent, food delicious and beautifully presented and prices, given it's a theatre restaurant and therefore has a somewhat captive audience, were reasonable. Portions were small and I...

Booked a party of 4 for a pre theatre meal allowing an hour to eat. Was able to choose menu 5 minutes before booked time BUT waited 50 minutes for it to arrive. After 30 minutes asked what was happening but never got a reply...

I like the decor, it is handy for evening theatre attendance and the food is good. Read some of the reviews and agree with some things, staff can be slow and there are other better places in Norwich BUT it did for us and we...

Average at best. Poor portions, average food, over priced, disappointing. Staff trying so hard I must admit. With better options in the city I wouldn’t return before a theatre booking. Cotton Club, Ivy’s, Bills - all far superior. Preferred it when it was Kemps. Still...

A nice, bright, clean and modern looking restaurant, with polite and friendly staff but unfortunately the food was very disappointing, Mackerel ( I believe from a packet ) starter was dry and had obviously been prepared much earlier in the day and kept refrigerated, as...

Really pleasantly surprised by Prelude. They have a good menu, the service is attentive without being overbearing. The food is tasty, the wine is good (lot of good Adnams there) and you can order drinks and dessert to be on your table for the interval....

We like the Theatre Royal in Norwich very much and go often. This time we were able to combine the matinee with an early evening meal before driving home after the super play "The Girl on the Train"! Our meal was served promptly and efficiently...

We are regular theatre goers, but in the past have always had lunch before a matinee performance at a neighbouring restaurant, which has sadly closed. So we looked forward to the opening of the all new Theatre Royal restaurant, hoping it would be to our...

A wonderful find...felt like we were stepping into one of Norway’s beautiful, warm, super clean Scandinavian havens! In addition to it being a visual delight ( and fantastically insulated for the chillier days!) Prelude is, we think, very atmospheric. It offers a lovely tranquil atmosphere...

Gracias Kemps, pero he tenido una segunda oportunidad, otra comida más decepcionante, que no volveremos a pesar de ser miembros de teatro.

We booked a table for lunch before the theatre. It was fortunate we did because it was very busy. The best thing about it is it's convenient.The decor makes you think of a cafe from the '80s. A bit scuffed, could do with an update. We ordered burger and chips, butternut squash croquettes and ham egg and chips. All acceptable. The desert was bread and butter pudding, this was made using raspberries, certainly a new one on us and not in a good way!If it wasn't for the captive theatre audience I think it would struggle.

We booked a table simply because it was convenient for the theatre, but we were pleasantly surprised. Although the restaurant looked more like a high street cafe, with quite basic furniture, the staff were very pleasant and helpful. The food was very acceptable and although a bit pricey we thought it good value. We paid about £20 each for two courses. It is a fairly limited menu but enough choice for us. The table remains yours for the whole performance so interval drinks can be served at the table and desserts can be held over until the interval too if desired which we though a really nice idea. We would definately do this again when visiting the theatre

The restaurant is in the theatre so we thought we would try it before the performance. The welcome was cool and hesitant as we had not booked a table, strange as the place was far from being full. The menu has a very limited selection of main courses and there were only two desserts to choose from. I had chicken which was overcooked and my partner had a "not very tasty hamburger". So as far as were concerned the verdict is not again!

The Restaurant mainly caters for those dining before the performance - but is also open to the general public. It had a face lift sometime ago, but, although the wooden tables are wooden - they look formica, and the cutlery is more associated with a formica cafe, which is a pity, for with white tableclothes and some new cutlery they would quickly upgrade their overall appearance.The welcome was pleasant and friendly, and if seeing a performance - coats could be left and the table was available for drinks in the interval. A reasonable selection on the menu - and pre-phoning had checked that a gluten free option was available. The waiters were aware of gf and very helpful with the selection.There were 2 or more possibilities of mains that were gf.The main course food was well presented, sufficient and very tasty. Desserts were then ordered, a gf choice made. Unfortunately, my wife's gf dessert contained shortbread, which is definitely not gluten free! For my wife, not being a fad gf , but a sufferer of coeliac disease, the presence of gluten in a meal would make her ill. The staff apologised and took the plate away, returning it with the message that the gf ice cream and other item had been replated (although the almond nuts had also disappeared) This does not take into account that there may have been some cross-contamination, and sadly, it is typical that some restuarants make a meal GF by removing elements, but not popping in a replacement (e.g. another scoop of ice cream), yet still charging the full price.Pity this as it was otherwise a good meal, tasty and reasonable value for money. We will return.

Friendly staff but seemed to be a bit reluctant to give us a table even though they were only half full. Very restricted menu, food good to average but very pricey for what you get. Out dated decor. Of course , very convenient if you are visiting the theatre.